Zoloft Versus Lexapro: My Experiences with Two Popular Anti-Depressant Medications

Many people find that they go through a time where they need an anti-depressant medication at some point during their lives, and deciding which medicine to take can be a very confusing and daunting decision. Zoloft and Lexapro are two popular anti-depressant options, and when patients begin treatment with medication, they are often started on one of these two drugs. I have personal experience with both of these medicines, and in this article I'll compare the pros and cons of both Zoloft and Lexapro.

When I was 16 years old, I experienced my first bout of depression and was prescribed Zoloft by a child psychiatrist. I didn't really know what to expect, and for a few weeks after starting the medicine, I couldn't feel much of an effect at all. After about 4 weeks of taking Zoloft, however, I noticed things were getting better. I moved to a new high school, and soon my depression began to lift. After about 6 months of treatment, I was well enough to stop taking the Zoloft and I figured my problems with depression were behind me.

A few years later, however, I started my freshman year at college and my depression began to return, worse than before. I sought help at the college counseling canter, and after a few sessions with a psychologist, I was referred to the school medical clinic to get a prescription for anti-depressants. Since I had done well on Zoloft when I was younger, the doctor decided I should give it another try, and I immediately resumed taking a daily dose of Zoloft.

Again, I didn't notice much of an effect at first, but within a few weeks my depression began to lift. As I continued my treatment with Zoloft however, I began to experience some strange side effects. The first thing I noticed was that I began to feel emotionally numb. Although I was happy that I wasn't hopelessly depressed, I noticed that nothing really seemed to upset me anymore--even things that it would be perfectly normal & healthy to get upset about. I also wasn't feeling particularly happy about anything, even things that were really exciting going on in my life. I really did just feel numb to the world.